Perched high in the Himalayas, a decaying mansion silently narrates the tale of its inhabitants: an embittered judge who has retreated from the chaos of justice, his orphaned granddaughter Sai, and their cook, dreaming of his son Biju's life in the United States. As Sai's burgeoning love with her tutor collides with the harsh realities of political upheaval, everyone within the mansion's walls is compelled to grapple with the seismic shifts in personal desires and social hierarchies. This poignant story of love, hope, and survival amidst the search for a place in a conflicting world is Kiran Desai's homage to a land caught between tradition and modernity.